


My Issue With Cats

by Lovefushsia



Category: Almost Human
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cats, Dorian loves cats, Friendship, Gen, Grumpy John, John still hates cats, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-21
Updated: 2015-11-21
Packaged: 2018-05-02 15:00:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5252591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lovefushsia/pseuds/Lovefushsia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dorian works in a cat shelter and tends to bring his work home. Then his friend John moves in for a while.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Issue With Cats

Dorian hummed to himself as he wandered slowly through the blue corridor checking in each shelter as he went by. He had a kitten on one arm, another cradled in his palm and he had to put them down soon for the night, so he was taking his time as he’d become pretty attached to these two since they had come in that morning. They didn’t want to leave Dorian’s side and he was quite happy with that, but he had to go home for the night and he wasn’t sure how they would take to their new bedroom.

“Come on little guys, you’ll be fine in here,” he told them as he tickled behind the ears of the black kitten he’d named Liquorice, or Lick for short since he was always licking Dorian’s palms. “You and your brother here.” He brushed gently at the other kitten’s tiny head with the back of a finger and cooed to him. Patch peered up at him from his perch on Dorian’s forearm and Dorian looked adoringly into his clear green eyes. The enclosure wasn’t big, they had no space here for larger homes for the abandoned cats with so many animals coming in each week. Dorian looked in at the soft bedding and water bowl then down to the tiny kittens in his arms. He sighed. “Ok guys in you go.” He gently tucked his fingers around Lick’s body and eased him upwards, but tiny claws met the skin of Dorian’s hand and he let him go. “Hmmm, ok maybe Patch first?” He tried a similar approach with the tortoiseshell kitten but he mewed so pitifully against Dorian’s gentle fingers that he let his hand fall again.

He looked around at all the other cats in their enclosures and hoped for the hundredth time that day that someone would soon come to give each of them a new life. In the meantime Dorian would do all he could for them, starting with these two. He made sure the last few enclosures were secure and made his way back to reception to complete the relevant paperwork for Lick and Patch.

***

The kittens settled in easily enough in Dorian’s house. He had a garden and a spare room devoted to his cats. His friends called him crazy and that was one of the kinder names. He had yet to persuade his friend John that cats were in fact man’s best friend and not an allergic reaction waiting to happen.

But John wouldn’t be convinced. Dorian took photos and videos of his two new housemates and showed them regularly to John. He’d send him ‘good morning’ photos of just a tiny pink nose or a paw touching the screen, and John would reply with a rude comment but Dorian knew he loved it really.

And then John’s apartment needed maintenance and John had to move out for a couple of weeks minimum. Dorian was quick to offer up his spare room and John reluctantly agreed, despite Dorian’s other, permanent housemates. Dorian assured him he’d find space for their beds in his own bedroom.

They were part way through moving John’s suitcases and the few personal bits he’d need into Dorian’s place, when John tripped and nearly fell face first through his bedroom door. He looked down and scowled at the two furry fuzzballs at his feet.

“Dorian!” he called. “Your cats are trying to kill me already. I don’t think this is gonna work,” he added as Dorian came into view with boxes stacked in his arms.

“Don’t be so melodramatic John. These little things?” He bent down hefting the boxes into one arm and scooped up both kittens with the other hand. John watched Dorian’s little display of strength, un-amused as he struggled through the door with his own load. “If I start sneezing I’m leaving,” he grumbled as Dorian followed him in.

“Come on John, did you never have pets growing up?”

“We had a dog. More sturdy, fewer claws.”

“They have exactly the same number of claws. Maybe if you held one?” Dorian said holding out Lick on his palm while Patch scrambled up to his shoulder. John eyed the kitten doubtfully and shook his head.

***

The kittens hadn’t really left Dorian’s side since he’d brought them home. He lived close enough to the shelter that he was home for lunch and could pop in on his breaks if need be. His older two cats were more independent but had thankfully accepted the new kittens easily enough. And as John and Dorian shared a takeout that evening all four cats were curled up in the spaces left between them on the couch. Patch was nuzzled against John’s leg and Lick was sitting on Dorian’s hand on the couch but as he slid his hand free the kitten mewed and rolled a little way over where he was closer to John. There hadn’t been any sneezing yet but John still frowned as the kitten rubbed its sleepy head against him. Dorian stuffed some more egg roll into his mouth to stop himself laughing.

After they’d finished a movie, both of them surprised that they’d never realised their joint love of sci-fi, John called it a night. He looked at Dorian and then down to the multi-coloured furry balls surrounding him.

“Am I going to wake them if I move?” John whispered.

“No John,” Dorian stage-whispered back to him. “But even if you do they’re not babies. Don’t worry.”

“The way you treat them you’d think they were,” John told him, but he graced his friend with a smile. Then he slid off the couch as slowly as possible and when he thought it was safe waved another goodnight to Dorian as he tiptoed to his room.

He woke up feeling well-rested on the comfiest mattress he’d ever slept on - trust Dorian to have a better spare room bed than John’s own bed at home. It only took a moment before he realised he wasn’t alone. He opened his eyes and blinked while the tiny face on his pillow came into focus. It was asleep. John had no idea what to do. He reached for his phone on the nightstand but found he could only twist a certain way because there was another cat on his leg halfway down the bed.

“Dorian,” he hissed once he’d managed to retrieve the phone and call for help. “Can you get in here, please?”

Dorian sauntered in rubbing his eyes a couple of minutes later, in loose grey sweats John had never seen before. “What is it man, didn’t sleep well?”

“I did,” John whispered. “But now I can’t move, a little help here?”

After the rescue, Dorian spent the rest of the morning laughing at John and trying to make the cats spend time anywhere but close to their newest person of interest. They just wouldn’t leave him alone and Dorian couldn’t help but think it was meant to be. Once John had his coffee he seemed more relaxed around them but after breakfast he made sure to scowl at every meow and small sound of claws clacking on the hardwood floor.

Dorian was pretty sure John was going to grow to love them when he caught his friend tickling Patch under the chin while he thought no one was watching. Even though John was turned away from the kitten, reading on his phone, there was definitely hope.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this!  
> http://lovefushsia.tumblr.com/post/124404114785/omg-this-is-the-cutest-thing-ever


End file.
